Pakistan submits ‘concrete evidence’ to ICJ in Jadhav case today

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will file its response to India on convicted spy Kulbushan Jhadav’s case in the International Court of Justice on Wednesday (today) – aiming dismissal of New Delhi’s plea to release him.

Officials at the foreign ministry said Pakistan’s legal team had finalised Pakistan’s detailed reply to India’s stance submitted with the ICJ .

A senior official told The Nation that Pakistan would challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ to hear Jadhav’s case. “He has been convicted in terrorism cases and there is no room to be soft on him,” he said.

The official added: “We will provide evidence to the ICJ to prove his role in the killings of so many Pakistanis. His case at the ICJ should be dismissed.”

Another official said Pakistan’s response was based on the Vienna Convention and country’s ambassador in the Netherlands will submit the reply. Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali is overseeing the high-profile case on behalf of Pakistan .

The official said Pakistan’s response included concreteevidence of Research and Analysis Wing agent Kulbhushan Jadhav’s confession of involvement in terror-related activities and rejection of India’s stance submitted with the ICJ .

“Pakistan’s argument is that the ICJ has no jurisdiction to hear the case of a terrorist who has orchestrated bloodshed in Pakistan . We are hopeful we will win our case,” he said.

Since his arrest last year, Pakistan had refused India’s requests for consular access to the convict and also conveyed its decision to the ICJ .

Pakistan also told the ICJ about Jadhav’s role in the terrorism acts across Pakistan that resulted in scores of deaths in the past.

Meanwhile, the third round of the Pakistan-Bulgaria Bilateral political consultations was held in Sofia on 7-8 December 2017, a foreign ministry statement said on Tuesday.

The Pakistan side was led by Ambassador Zaheer A Janjua, Additional Secretary (Europe), while Ambassador Kostadin Kodzhabashev, Director-General (Bilateral Relations), Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed the Bulgarian side.

The two sides reviewed the whole spectrum of bilateral relations and identified opportunities and possibilities for further cooperation, especially in the spheres of trade and economy, investment, culture, education, science and technology, defence, parliamentary exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

The sides expressed satisfaction at their ongoing collaboration at the UN and other multilateral fora, especially through support to each other’s candidatures.

The two sides discussed the evolving peace and security situations in their respective regions.

The additional secretary briefed the Bulgarian side on Pakistan’s efforts aimed at promoting peace and security in Afghanistan, Pakistan-India relations and human rights violations in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bulgarian side appreciated Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism and sacrifices rendered by it in this regard.

Pakistan considers Bulgaria an important country in the Balkan region and the European Union, and enjoys cordial relations with it.

The two sides agreed to hold the fourth round of consultations in Islamabad in 2018 at mutually-convenient dates, said the foreign ministry statement.